2025 -- H 5226
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LC000908
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
CONDEMNING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S EXECU TIVE ORDER TO WITHDRAW
CITIZENSHIP FROM CHILDREN BORN IN THE UNITED STATES TO UNDOCUMENTED
PARENTS
Introduced By: Representatives Perez, Bennett, Potter, Handy, Alzate, Boylan,
Speakman, McNamara, Giraldo, and Casey
Date Introduced: January 29, 2025
Referred To: House Judiciary
WHEREAS, On January 20th, 2025, shortly after being sworn into office, President 1
Donald Trump signed an executive order as part of his hardline anti-immigration agenda; and 2
WHEREAS, The executive order outlined the end to birthright citizenship, which refers 3
to a constitutionally protected right that grants automatic United States citizenship to babies born 4
in this country, and includes children of undocumented immigrants or tourists and students on 5
short-term visas; and 6
WHEREAS, This policy has been in place for more than 150 years and is enshrined in 7
the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution, which grants citizenship to people "born 8
or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" regardless of their 9
parent's immigration or citizenship status; and 10
WHEREAS, According to the Pew Center for Research, in 2022, 1.3 million United 11
States-born adults who live with their parents were born to undocumented immigrants; and 12
WHEREAS, It is estimated that ending birthright citizenship for US children with two 13
unauthorized immigrant parents would increase the existing "unauthorized population" by 4.7 14
million people by 2050; and 15
WHEREAS, More than thirty countries around the world allow birthright citizenship 16
including, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chad, 17
Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, 18
Honduras, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 19
LC000908 - Page 2 of 2
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uruguay 1
and Venezuela; and 2
WHEREAS, In addition to birthright citizenship, in many countries, citizenship can be 3
obtained through one parent being a citizen, marriage, naturalization, dual citizenship, and 4
citizenship by investment; and 5
WHEREAS, To date, Attorneys General from twenty-two states have filed lawsuits 6
against President Trump's move to ban birthright citizenship; and 7
WHEREAS, President Trump's Executive Order banning birthright citizenship is both 8
illegal and immoral, and will inflict serious harm on American families; now, therefore be it 9
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 10
condemns President Donald Trump's executive order to withdraw citizenship from children born 11
in the United States to undocumented parents; and be it further 12
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 13
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to President Donald Trump, and members of 14
Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation. 15
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LC000908
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